I Couldn't Live Without You
by calleighsthebest
Summary: Post ep for 6.16 'all in' what happened when Eric took Calleigh home, could he convince her to open up? Conatins spoilers for 6.16


OK, so I was inspired by 'ambush' and 'all in' to write this post ep (obviously contains spoilers!) So here goes...

* * *

Eric had insisted on taking her home, there was no way he was going to let her go home on her own after what she had been through today. Maybe it had been for entirely selfish reasons after all, she had promised she was 'fine' but Eric knew he definitely wasn't. He'd gone through hell today just worrying about where she was and if she was still alive. When he found out about Cooper posting her new number on his twisted website he had been so angry, it had honestly taken all his self restraint not to kill him there and then, _how could he have been so stupid? _

When they had found Calleigh's hummer with the bullet strikes and the chloroform nearby, he had been more scared than he could ever remember being in his entire life. He kept seeing her like their previous victim, Kathleen Newberry, dead and imagined having pull her body out of the lake and knew that he would rather die himself than have to do that. Whilst he knew she was strong and could normally look after herself and would put up a fight, with the chloroform she'd soon be knocked out and then anything could be happening to her. When he'd discovered the priors of her kidnapper he'd become even more terrified, attempted rape, he didn't even want to have to think about Calleigh in a situation like that.

But when they reached the first scene and realised that she had been leaving clues, he had calmed a little, at least she was still alive and conscious at the moment. He'd also been amazed by them, he was sure that even thinking now, he would never have thought of them let alone under the influence of chloroform and in a stressful situation he'd never have worked it out. He knew that without those clues they'd have taken much more time to find her, she'd managed to help them ID one of them, convinced the other to turn himself in and also communicated the time and place at which they would be able to find her. Without any of those clues it could have been too late.

When she had appeared in the room with that monster holding the gun to her head, he's been so angry and it had taken everything he had not to shoot the animal for what he had done. But he had been more relieved about the fact that Calleigh was there, she was right in front of him, she was still alive. He wasn't entirely sure what happened next, he was too busy staring at Calleigh and trying to convince himself that she was real, but she ended up pointing a gun at the animal and then he was carted away.

Eric stood behind her, she was obviously shaken, but then who wouldn't be? He'd placed his hand on her shoulders, trying to reassure her, let her know it was OK, she was OK. It had been just as much for him, to let him know that she was real, that she was actually there, she was OK. Horatio and Frank had taken the kidnapper in and Ryan was collecting the last of the evidence and packing it into the hummer.

"Are you OK?" Eric asked Calleigh softly, still not willing to let her go just yet.

"I'm fine," Calleigh replied but Eric refused to believe that anyone could be OK after what she had been through.

"The paramedics are here," Eric said, pointing to the ambulance parked outside the building, "you should get checked over."

"Eric, I'm fine, I don't need checking over, honestly, I'm OK."

"OK," Eric gave in, he was not going to argue with her, she'd been through enough, he just wanted to take her home and look after he, although he knew she'd never allow that.

After convincing her to allow him to take her home he drove silently to her house, Calleigh was quiet and didn't say anything for the whole journey and Eric began questioning whether she was really as OK, as she kept insisting. When he pulled up and stopped the car outside her house, Calleigh remained sitting where she was staring straight ahead.

"Calleigh," Eric said softy, "we're here."

Calleigh nodded slowly and made her way out of the hummer and up to her front door, Eric followed her slowly as she made her way inside.

"Do you want a drink?" Calleigh asked him.

"It's OK, I'll get them," Eric said walking past her, "Why don't you take a shower or something, whilst I get these ready."

"Thanks Eric," Calleigh said softly and made her way into the bathroom desperate to wash all traces of the past two days from her, she turned the water on and stepped in and let the water fall onto the body. Instantly feeling more relaxed, she began to think about the events of the day and whilst she was glad to be OK and still alive there had been points when she was sure she was going to end up dead and it still terrified her now.

Eric made up some pasta for Calleigh to eat when she got out of the shower and poured them both some juice, and then sat back at her kitchen table, listening to the water running in the shower.

"That's better," Calleigh said, reappearing in the kitchen brushing her wet hair, she noticed the food on the table, "Eric you didn't have to cook for me."

"It's OK," Eric replied, "you must be starving, I don't know what it'll taste like though, I just threw it together with some stuff I found in the cupboard."

Calleigh sat down and started eating, "it tastes great, thanks Eric."

"Don't mention it." Eric watched her eating, she was obviously hungry. "What happened to your wrists?" Eric asked, noticing the bruises.

"Oh, they're from the rope," Calleigh started, continuing when Eric seemed confused, "from when they tied me up."

Eric didn't say anything but was so angry and so desperate to hold her, promise her nothing like this would ever happen again, although he knew he couldn't, at least not yet. Calleigh would insist she was fine, pretend that what had happened hadn't affected her, eventually she would let him in, he was sure of it. He just had to prove to her that he would always be here, no matter what, until she'd believe it enough to let him in, until she was sure that he wasn't going anywhere. She'd trusted too many people who had then broken her heart to let it happen again, he understood that was why she had these walls; he just had to prove to her that he wasn't like that. He truly believed that her even agreeing to allow him to bring her home was a breakthrough; he just had to keep trying.

Calleigh ate in silence, and was glad of the food, Eric was right she hadn't realised just how hungry she was, she tried to figure out the last time she ate and realised it was breakfast yesterday before she was taken.

Calleigh finished quickly, "that was great Eric, thanks. And thanks for coming back here with me, I really appreciate it."

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be," Eric said, "I was really scared today Cal, I thought I'd never see you again."

Calleigh looked at him and smiled softly before standing up and walking toward the living room, "do you want to watch a film?" she asked quietly.

"Um, yeah, sure whatever you want," Eric said walking in behind her, she had not replied to his comment, he figured maybe he had pushed too far, too quickly, she obviously wasn't ready to talk about it yet, it was still too raw, too fresh in her mind. He was sure what had happened hadn't sunk in for her yet, she hadn't had chance to comprehend it, she had just reacted as it happened.

Calleigh placed a DVD into the player and Eric sat on the couch and was surprised when she sat as close to him as she did when she sat down next to him. They began to watch the DVD, but Eric was not paying attention at all, all he could think about was how lucky he had been to get Calleigh back now, to be able to be sitting here next to her, which this morning he'd managed to convince himself would never happen.

Calleigh also couldn't concentrate on the images on the TV, she kept remembering just what had happened today, she was still not sure that she was still alive, she just felt numb. There had been a point when she had been convinced that animal was going to rape her and vowed that she'd rather be killed than let him do that, then he'd knocked her to the floor and pointed the gun right in her face she had been sure she was going to die. She felt the moistness build in her eyes and willed herself not to cry, but she couldn't anymore she'd done it too much over the past couple of days and now it was too much and she felt the cold tears make their way slowly down her face.

Eric noticed she was crying and pulled her body gently towards him half expecting her to pull away but she didn't she rolled slightly and allowed Eric to wrap his arms around her and pull her closer, as he did Calleigh winced.

"What's wrong?" Eric asked.

"It's nothing, just a bruise," Calleigh replied.

"Let me see," Eric said, for Calleigh to wince like that from such a light touch, it had to be more serious.

"Eric honestly it's nothing."

"Then let me see that it's nothing, please," Eric replied, he just needed to make sure she was OK.

"OK," Calleigh replied softly and moved away from him slightly to left her top up, to reveal a bruise across her ribs and abdomen, at the moment it was red and beginning to change to a purple colour, but it looked painful.

"What happened?"

"I tried to fight him, he knocked me to the floor and kicked me, it's no big deal Eric, it'll be gone in a couple of days."

"Calleigh, maybe you should get it checked, it could be serious," Eric tried to fight the rage boiling over inside him, how could this man do this to her? How could anybody want to do that to her? What had she done wrong?

"Eric honestly it's nothing, please can you just drop it."

"OK, I'm sorry."

"No don't apologize, please, it's nice you care, it's just I'd rather try and forget it ever happened."

"I understand," Eric replied, "let's just watch the film."

"Thanks Eric," Calleigh replied and settled into his arms further, she liked it there it felt safe, comforting, something she never thought she'd feel again after today.

They watched the film for another hour, Eric was convinced Calleigh had fallen asleep, but when he looked down at her, tears were still falling down her cheeks and he couldn't stand it.

"Calleigh," he started softly.

"I...I was so scared," Calleigh admitted quietly.

The weakness in her voice almost broke Eric again, although he had wanted her to open up, part of him hated seeing her this weak, it scared him because she was always in control and like the loss of control scared her, it also scared him, made him realise how bad things must have been.

"Anyone would've been scared in that situation Cal," Eric tried to reassure, "hell, I was scared and I wasn't even abducted. Talk to me Cal, maybe it'll help."

"I didn't know what was happening; they took me and I fought them, but then all I remember waking up gagged and tied up and convinced I was going to die. He told me I had to help him and I did, but I knew that when he didn't have a use for me anymore he'd kill me."

Eric pulled her closer, "It's OK, you're safe now."

"I know, it's just I knew that I was stuck there and that there was nothing I could do about it and if I didn't do what he said he would kill me, I mean he killed someone before me, that's why I was there in the first place. Then he sent his friend to go and get supplies and suggested we could 'waste a little time' I was terrified, I honestly thought he was going to rape me..."

"He had priors for attempted rape," Eric explained, "he didn't, did he?" Eric asked, terrified to hear the answer.

"No, no he didn't," Calleigh replied, "I told him I'd rather die, that's when I ended up fighting him. After he kicked me he held the gun to my face and asked for my last words, he only didn't pull the trigger because I told him I didn't think the gunshot killed the guy. I didn't even know how to let you all know where I was or if you'd find it."

"You did a great job with that Cal, I'm not so sure we'd have found you if you hadn't."

Calleigh smiled lightly, "At least you all figured it out. Then I walked in and you were all sat there and I knew that as long as I made it through this bit alive I'd be OK. You don't know how hard it was to not shoot him when I was pointing that gun at him, I just wanted to punish him for what he'd put me through."

"I do Cal, because I felt the same, I saw him pointing that gun at your head and desperately wanted to kill him, it was only the thought that you were still alive and standing right in front of me that stopped me. It still doesn't seem enough that he's in jail for what he did to you." Eric slowly brushed his hand over where her bruise was on her abdomen. He noticed the bruises on her wrist again and lifted in up and placed gentle kisses along the bruise, "I'm so sorry Calleigh."

"It wasn't your fault Eric, nobody knew this would happen."

"OK, maybe it wasn't my fault but if Cooper hadn't posted that number then they never would've got you."

"There's no point blaming anyone but the people who took me Eric, I mean they were the ones that made the decision to do it, Cooper was stupid, but he was good once, he was just angry about the credit card thing."

"You're amazing," Eric said, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

They lay there together for another hour just staring at the TV when Eric realised that Calleigh had fallen asleep. He wanted just to lie there with her all night, making sure she was still there, she was real, but he knew she'd end up aching if she slept like that all night. Slowly he moved from under her and stood up slowly before leaning in to pick her up and carry her through to her bedroom where he pulled the covers back and placed her down gently and covered her up again. She rolled over and he was worried he'd woke her up.

"Stay," Calleigh mumbled patting the bed next to where she was lying, "please."

Eric wasn't about to argue and so walked around to the other side of the bed and undressed down to his boxers and climbed into the bed next to her, surprised when she slid back next to him, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. He was sure he wasn't going to get any sleep tonight with her this close, but at least he knew she was safe. He fallen in love with her slowly over the past few years and although he knew it was a big risk, he also knew it was worth it or it would be if Calleigh would ever take the chance, he just hoped he could convince her.

Eric was becoming increasingly tired, and when he was sure Calleigh was asleep his kissed her head lightly whispering "I love you," as he did before drifting off into a peaceful sleep himself.

* * *

Thanks for reading and if you did, please review! I would really appreciate it!


End file.
